The monthly WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) was completed on site yesterday by myself and Warden Paul Bennett. This involves counting all waterbirds on site and submitting the data to the British Trust for Ornithology and is part of a national network of sites contributing data to this important monitoring scheme. Our results from yesterday are as follows –
2 little grebe
2 great crested grebe
103 teal
67 mallard
79 tufted duck
33 wigeon
7 pochard
35 gadwall
6 mute swan
1 greylag goose
5 coot
2 kingfisher
1 green sandpiper
26 lapwing
1 snipe
3 grey heron
40 black headed gull
1 moorhen
1 water rail
Also on site yesterday were a short eared owl and a merlin seen by Site Manager Michael Copleston, 2 sparrowhawks seen by Paul and a Cetti’s warbler singing from the Phase 1 reedbed. Today we have been treated to some more sightings of tree sparrows from the Phase 1 viewing screen, have counted around 100 fieldfare at the southern end of the site, watched a corvid mobbing a short eared owl over the silt lagoons and spotted 24 golden plover and 150 pink footed geese overflying the reserve. Not bad!